Dough boys: Three local entrepreneurs look to build a baked goods empire -- out of waffle cookies

Chris Chagaris

Published 8:05 pm, Thursday, January 6, 2011

The Stroople, an Americanized version of the Dutch "stoopwafel" cookie, is the brainchild of Old Greenwich natives Jimmy Cabrera, Erik Ornitz and Darren Ornitz. The three have co-founded the American Pressed Bakery to produce the luscious treats.
Photo: Contributed Photo

The Stroople, an Americanized version of the Dutch "stoopwafel"...

Strooples begin as small balls of dough, which are pressed with a waffle iron. They are then spread with caramel and various flavorings and sandwiched together.
Photo: Contributed Photo

Strooples begin as small balls of dough, which are pressed with a...

Strooples begin as small balls of dough, which are pressed with a waffle iron. They are then spread with caramel and various flavorings and sandwiched together.
Photo: Contributed Photo

Strooples begin as small balls of dough, which are pressed with a...

Strooples begin as small balls of dough, which are pressed with a waffle iron. They are then spread with caramel and various flavorings and sandwiched together.
Photo: Contributed Photo

Strooples begin as small balls of dough, which are pressed with a...

Strooples begin as small balls of dough, which are pressed with a waffle iron. They are then spread with caramel and various flavorings and sandwiched together.
Photo: Contributed Photo

Say hello to Strooples, a new brand of cookie that debuted in November and has been flying off the shelves at Porricelli's Market in Old Greenwich ever since.

The cookies, a variation on the Dutch "stroopwafel" (which dates back to the 18th century), are the brainchild of brothers Darren and Erik Ornitz and friend Jimmy Cabrera, all Old Greenwich natives. They are the co-founders of American Pressed Bakery, a new company that markets the Strooples brand.

Strooples resemble a waffle in cookie form. Each cookie starts out as a ball of dough, which is then pressed in a waffle iron, spread with caramel and various flavorings and sandwiched together. "Strooples are handmade, and we can produce a few hundred in several hours," said Darren, a travel photographer by trade. "We want to keep them handmade, as that's a very important aspect of our brand."

The Stroople currently comes in four different flavors: Dutch Original, American Chocolate Chip, English Toffee and Brazilian Coconut and deliberately showcase the distinctive tastes of these different countries.

"We went through trial and error for months with different ingredients before we came up with these flavors," said Cabrera, the self-professed chef of the group who, until recently, worked in commercial real estate. "We finally hit upon the right ingredients that went well with the original flavoring."

Like their Dutch counterpart, the cookies are best paired with a hot beverage such as coffee or hot cocoa. The proper way to enjoy them is to put the Stroople on top of the cup in order for the steam to bring out the caramel flavor, although, the partners say, some folks enjoy them cold.

Either way, local residents have been eating them up.

The three co-founders trace the idea for the cookie back to a chance encounter. Erik Ornitz, who recently graduated from Brown University and works in finance in New York City, first came upon the stroopwafel while in school. He tried the waffle cookies, fell in love with them -- and began to think of his own way to brand it.

And so, Strooples were born.

Now the three co-founders have ambitious plans for American Pressed Bakery and the Stroople brand. Plans are in the works for new flavors, including "Ethiopian Coffee" and "Turkish Almond," and there are hopes to eventually branch out with other baked goods. Long-term goals include expanding nationally. "We want the Stroople to be a proven, sustainable product first," said Cabrera.

The three are also interested in being good corporate citizens. "Social responsibility is one of our company's core values, and we want to donate a percentage of our proceeds to certain charities," said Erik via a telephone interview. The company, to this end, has been giving a small percentage of its profits to Community Centers, Inc. in Greenwich, a non-profit social service agency. "Once we get our revenue up, we aim to donate to a charity in each country that the Stroople brand represents," said Darren. "We would like to focus on charities associated with kids and education."

Strooples are presently sold only at Porricelli's and online at the company's website. "The Porricelli family has been very supportive and helpful to us," said Darren. Added Erik, "At the end of the day, a large component of our business is having fun with what we create."

Porricelli's Market is located at 26 Arcadia Road, Old Greenwich. For more information about American Pressed Bakery, visit www.AmericanPressedBakery.com.